The Children's Blizzard
by scarlett2112
Summary: One moment the air is calm; the next the sky explodes in a raging chaos of horizontal snow and hurricane-force winds. Temperatures plunge as an unprecedented cold front rips through the plains. When the storm poses a very real threat to their lives, it's up to Miss Gilbert to get the children to safety, the reclusive and enigmatic Mr. Salvatore being their only option.
1. Chapter 1

January 1888

Hearing noises repeatedly hitting his front door, Damon gets up from his chair to go see what's going on. Splitting the curtains, he sees those kids lobbing rocks at it again. Shaking his head, he throws his scarf around his neck, slips his heavy coat on and then pulls the door open, catching the boys off guard. He yells at them to stop. When they snicker, he starts stalking towards them.

Seeing his formidable stature closing the distance, they run like gangbusters, jumping over his fence and onto the gravel road before they disappear over the hill. Shaking his fist at them, Damon curses under his breath. Knowing he won't catch them anymore, he picks up some logs and then goes back into his house. After setting the wood down, he removes his coat and scarf, hanging them up on the peg.

Taking the poker, he stirs up the fire then drops some eggs and potatoes into the cast iron bucket to make himself something to eat. Dropping into the rocking chair, he takes off his leg and starts to rub the stump. Having been born with a congenital leg malformation, the doctor told his parents that the only way he would ever walk would be with a prosthetic so they allowed him to amputate it. Even after all these years, it still bothers him. Sometimes he thinks it's in his head and sometimes the pain feels so real, it's hard to believe that he's imagining it.

Leaning back in the rocker, he opens his eyes when he feels his dog Jack, lay down at his feet in front of the toasty fire. Reaching down, he pets him for a few moments then closes his eyes to relax for a little while.

* * *

Once the kids are certain that Damon isn't following them, the boys slow to a stop so they can catch their breath. "He's too slow to catch us," Johnny laughs, taking off one of his mittens to pick up some snow to put in his mouth.

"What's wrong with him?" Beryl, the new boy asks, looking behind them to make sure Damon isn't still following them.

"He gots a fake leg. My father said he was born without a real one."

"Why are you guys mean to him?"

"Because he doesn't have any friends," Timmy says, looking at Beryl as if he has two heads.

Once they catch their breaths, the boys start to walk home, taking their time to have a snowball fight on the way.

* * *

Elena steps outside to ring the school bell. Smiling when she sees the children playing, she reaches up and grabs the pull, ringing it loudly. The kids stop what they're doing and hurry up the stairs and into the little country school. Elena is new in Dakota territory, she's lived here for about a month. There's talk of it becoming a state, it isn't one yet but there's a lot of clamoring about it.

As soon as all the children are seated, Elena puts another log on the fire and stirs it up. Satisfied with her effort, she stands up and walks over to her desk, stopping in front of it. The old teacher, Mrs. Flowers, fell and broke her hip which is how Elena got the job.

There are twenty three children in the classroom. They're of all ages and grades up to eighth. "Good morning everyone," she greets them, her hands clasped at her lower belly.

"Good morning, Miss Gilbert," they say, their voices all filling the small one room schoolhouse.

"How was your weekend?" she asks pointing at Johnny first. He goes over a laundry list of everything he's done. Next she points to the new boy, Beryl who goes into detail about how he went ice fishing with his dad and uncle. Next she turns to Sarah, who tells the class that she helped her mom make cookies. By the time they all have a turn, Elena has to put more wood on the fire. Then she tells them to open their math books. When that lesson is done, it's time for reading. With the room quiet, she pulls out the geography book so they can start in on that as soon as reading and lunch time are over.

For the most part, things have been great here. Even though she has had to exercise discipline more than once, the children are good for the most part. When they misbehave, she doesn't allow them to get away with it but she refused to take a switch to their backsides nor a ruler to their fingers. This is her first teaching job and a couple of the parents have looked at her rather skeptically. But hopefully with time and determination, she'll triumph over their doubts and misconceptions about her.

When she hears her name, she looks up, smiling when she sees little Josephine. She's eight and although a good student, she's very quiet. "It's nice outside, can we go for a walk at recess time?"

"You know what, Josephine? I think that's a wonderful idea. So you go finish your reading and then after we have lunch we'll go for a walk."

"Thank you , Miss Gilbert."

"You are welcome. Thank you for the wonderful idea."

The little girl smiles widely then hurries back to her desk. Smiling at her, Elena can't help but remember herself as a girl that age. She was a voracious reader, she still is as a matter of fact. Opening her top drawer, she looks around. Since their noses are all buried in their books, Elena pulls the letter out and opens it. It's from her brother Jeremy. Elena smiles so wide, she almost beams because he's going to board a train to pay her a visit next week. Carefully she puts it back into its envelope then tucks it into a book and closes the drawer, her eyes now on the clock as she waits the final few minutes before she can announce that it's lunch time.

* * *

When the children finish with their lunch, Elena instructs them to put on their coats, hats, scarves and mittens so they can go for a walk. As soon as they're ready, Elena slips into her own outdoor clothing. They walk down the stairs and out onto the gravel road. There isn't much snow on the ground right now, the temperature must be close to freezing, Elena thinks, her breath visible before her eyes when she speaks. The farther they get from the school, they see a few cattle huddled together, eating hay that the farmer must've put out for them.

In the dead of winter in Dakota territory there isn't much for plant life, other than a few sparse pine trees. Most of the others stand like stark sentinels, their branches empty having lost their leafy foliage last fall. The dead corn stocks stand guard in the fields until the farmers can get to them once springtime arrives. When a bunny scampers in the field to their left, Sarah runs over to the fence to get a closer look but it skitters away when it hears the crackle of old snow beneath her shoes.

Continuing their journey, they hear a pounding sound. Looking around, Elena sees Mr. Salvatore. He looks like he's working on some fence repair. Running around the field behind him is a big old yellow dog. When he hears them, he startles slightly. But when his big blue eyes meet hers, it's like she's falling through the looking glass. The man is such a delight to look at. She's seen him in church on Sundays but other than that, he keeps pretty much to himself or so she's been told by Caroline Forbes.

She explained how he was born with a birth defect and because of it, he lost a leg. Kids were cruel to him, she went on to explain. He must have grown up a very lonely little boy. Just the thought of that hurts Elena's heart. But she is glad that Caroline didn't look down on him with such judgment, she and her husband being some of the only town's folk that Damon will visit with. She would very much like to get to know him better. He's a decent, hard working man from what she can tell, having seen his muscular frame when he's taken his coat off during Sunday services.

"Hello, Mr. Salvatore," she greets him, talking loudly to be heard over Jack's barking.

"Miss Gilbert," he says, a rare smile forming on his face. Taking his cap off, he bows slightly much to her delight.

"I hope you don't mind, the children and I are taking a stroll. We'll be turning around soon. We have our science lesson next."

Hearing the kids snickering behind her, Elena turns around and raises an eyebrow. Knowing that she means business, they stop their chortling.

"Do you mind, Mr. Salvatore, if we walk onto your property a little bit? I'd like to show them that pine tree over there," she mentions pointing to the lone tree sitting in the middle of nowhere.

"Of course, take your time but I need to get back to work," Damon adds. With a nod of his head and a whistle to his dog, he limps away with Jack at his side.

* * *

Elena lives in a boarding house on the outskirts of town. The building is owned and run by the parents of Johnny, one of her students. He can be a little hellion, Elena has scolded him more than once for acting out. Having heard the snickering, she asks him what it was about. She frowns when he reluctantly explains what they did. When she asks if he participated, he drops his eyes and nods his head. Shaking her own, she tells him that he needs to tell his parents what he did. As soon as the two of them arrive home, they look for his father, finding him in his office looking over the boarding house accounts.

With Elena standing behind him, he tells his dad what happened with Mr. Salvatore today. Elena watches intently as his father frowns. Standing up, he walks around to the front of the desk. He then stoops down and asks his son why they would pick on someone that he doesn't even know? Johnny goes on to explain that the other kids were doing it too. Shaking his head back and forth, Mr. Rolag sends his son out of the room.

"Why did you think it was necessary for my son to tell me this?"

"Mr. Rolag, children should have respect for adults, not ridicule someone because they're different."

"Miss Gilbert, I have no interest in what my son may or may not say to Mr. Salvatore. He's an outcast, someone to be made fun of. Hell, I do it myself," the man scoffs, sitting back down in his chair.

Speechless, she's now not at all surprised that Johnny behaves the way he does. Sucking in a breath, Elena moves to stand in front of the desk, clearing her throat to get his attention.

"Was there something else?" he asks, picking up his cigar and taking a long pull on it.

"It's wrong and you know it," she adds, her hands on her hips.

"You are dismissed, Miss Gilbert. I don't want to hear any more of this foolishness from you."

Her mouth parts in anger but knowing she needs her job and a place to stay and that it's really not her place to interfere with their family business, she turns on her heels and marches out, slamming his door shut when she exits the room.

* * *

 _I hope you'll all like this short story. As many of you know now, I love history and as such, I very much enjoy adding Damon and Elena to the historical record as it were. I have another one in mind that I have the prologue written for, one of the things on my bucket list has a starring role. ;)_

 _There is a book by David Laskin about this event. I have not read it. Any similarities are entirely coincidental. I did my own research online as I do with all of my stories._

 _Thank you all so much._ _I don't have words enough to truly express how grateful Eva and I are to all of you. Thank you for loving Damon and Elena as much as we do, for all of your incredible reviews, the follows and the favorites... Really, you're all amazing and beautiful people, thank you. It's your enthusiasm, hunger for stories starring our holy ship that keeps us all here._

 _And Eva, I love you dearly, thank you._

 _I did post the conclusion to "Eyes Without a Face" yesterday._

 _Have a safe and wonderful day. We'll see you next with 'November Rain'._


	2. Wintery Winds

Feeling the chill, Damon draws his coat closed then tugs the reins a little harder, urging his horses to pick up the pace. Although the weather is still crisp, he's grateful that the temperatures aren't as frigid as they usually are this time of year. Winters are harsh in Dakota territory where he makes his home.

They don't go to town often, usually only to Sunday services, church events like todays and if they're in need of flour, sugar, coffee, and sometimes fabric so Sheila can make herself a dress or sew a shirt for him. He's handy with a rifle so they always have wild game to dine on such as pheasant, wild turkey, duck, geese, and venison.

During last year's flu season, he was close to death but she nursed him day and night till he finally started to show some signs of improvement. There's no doubt in his mind that he would have perished if not for her.

When they reach the church, Damon pulls the reins, stopping his horses. After securing them, he gets out, grimacing when his wooden leg hits the frozen ground. Shaking it off, he walks around to the other side to lift Sheila down. Once her feet are firmly planted, she tells Damon to reach the cake. He hands it to her then extends his arm, signaling for her to lead the way. Taking a hold of the railing on the slick stairs, Damon takes one at a time, making sure he's close to her so in case she slips he can help her. When they reach the church basement, he pulls the door open and lets Sheila go in first.

With a nod to Damon, she walks over to where the food is being set out. He watches as she visits with the church ladies a little bit before picking up a knife and cutting the cake into squares. She visits with the ladies for a few minutes before returning to Damon. Together they find a table in the back. She knows how uncomfortable these church suppers are for him.

Sadly, this young man that she loves dearly is painfully lacking in self esteem. Having been teased unmercifully as a child, he retreated into himself. Before she moved in with him, he didn't leave the house much except to do chores and get some fresh air, his farm animals and Jack his only companions. With much encouragement on her part, she got him to put himself out there a little more. Even though it's only for Sunday services, meals like this one and for staples, _at least it's something_.

Noticing that Damon's complete attention is focused on the new school teacher, Sheila smiles realizing that he likes her. He did mention that she and the children were taking a walk the other day and asked to infringe on his land for a little bit. Knowing him as well as she does, she knows he'll dismiss her immediately if she mentions the pretty young lady so instead, she's happy just to see a little spark in his eyes for once.

When it's announced for them to start eating, they get in line to wait their turn to fill their plates. Damon takes a scoop of mashed potatoes, a big helping of roast beef, freshly baked bread and corn. Slapping a piece of butter on his plate, he follows Sheila back to their table. One of the young girls comes around and fills their coffee cups.

At the same time he sticks a hunk of roast in his mouth, he notices Miss Gilbert acknowledge him with a shy smile. Nodding, he drops his eyes and continues to eat. When Sheila excuses herself to get a piece of dessert for each of them, Damon takes a swallow of coffee. His gaze drifts back to the teacher again. He finds himself enamored of a girl for the first time since he was a kid. None of them ever returned his feelings though, instead they were mean, pretending to return them only to humiliate him afterwards. Despite that, he inherently knows she's a good person. As he watches, a parent, Mr. Fell, approaches her looking more than a little disgruntled in Damon's opinion.

While he watches, Elena stands up and follows the man till they're standing a distance away from anyone else. He can see the man's face get red, his arms gesticulating all over the place. It's quite obvious that the man is giving her all kinds of grief. What he wouldn't do to be her knight in shining armor. _Stop dreaming Salvatore._

He's not an idiot, he knows that it's very likely that _no_ one will ever want him in the romantic sense. Damon watches, a warm feeling brews inside when he sees her own face bloom red, not from blush but from anger. When she turns away from the man for just a moment, he can see her brows are furrowed. She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear and then takes a step forward while Mr. Fell takes a step back. Realizing that she can more than hold her own, he leans back in his chair quite enjoying the fact that she's putting Tobias Fell in his place. The man has been a bastard his entire life. Born of privilege, he's been mean and cruel since they were children. Although he's older than Damon, it didn't stop him from calling him names and the like.

With cake in each hand, Sheila approaches their table, stopping in her tracks when she sees Damon watching the school marm intently which only confirms her suspicions that he likes her. She is going to make a point of introducing herself before they leave to go back to the farm.

 _They'd make such a cute couple._

She knows however that Damon is unsure of himself and that his self esteem borders on non existent. Sighing, she walks over to the table, sliding a piece of cake in front of him before sitting back down herself. If anyone deserves to find a nice and pretty girl, it's him. He's kind and gentle to those he loves but no ones sees the Damon that she knows so well.

* * *

Even though she wanted nothing more than to give Mr. Fell a piece of her mind, she bit her tongue to save her job. Some of the parents in this town are wonderful, caring people and then there are others who teach their children that it's okay to make fun of less than perfect people. It's maddening beyond belief. As angry as she is, she has to step outside to cool off for a few minutes.

Because of the cold, she only stays out for a few minutes but it's enough. Once she's back inside of the church hall, she starts to make her rounds, paying special attention to some of her school children and their parents. She wishes that some of them would accept her as a self sufficient and accomplished young woman. She does have her teaching certificate so it's not like she's someone who is just making things up when she does her lesson plans and tries to instill some knowledge into their children's young minds.

Having been dressed down by Mr. Fell, she can't help but be bitter at his boorish behavior. Who does he think he is anyway? Feeling a tug on her skirt, she looks down, smiling when she sees little Alice Olson. She's just six years old, one of the youngest children to attend school. When she stoops down to talk to Alice, she happens to notice _him_ visiting with the older woman. Elena has seen them together at church before.

One of her few friends in town, Caroline Forbes mentioned that the woman lives with Damon. Caroline told her that her mother was a friend of Damon's parents and that they kept him sheltered aside from school and church when he was a little boy because of his deformed leg. They knew the other kids were ruthless often sending him home with tears in his eyes. Her heart breaks when she thinks of him as a young child being treated like a leper for no reason whatsoever. She's certain that women would swarm around Damon if he didn't walk with a limp. He's extremely nice looking and very nicely put together.

Caroline told her that although she and Damon have never been close, she was one of the few kids their age who didn't torment him or make him feel less than who he is. That alone makes it obvious to Elena that she's one of the few nicer people in this town of gossips and know it alls. Feeling another tug, Elena is snapped out of her reverie then pays close attention till Alice's mother takes her by the hand and walks away. Getting up, to mingle a little more, she turns her head when she hears a glass shatter.

When she hears Mr. Fell again, she hurries away, running directly into _his_ chest. He grabs onto her waist when she pitches forward to prevent her from tumbling to the cold, hard floor.

"Mr. Salvatore! I'm so sorry, I was trying to hurry away," she says, feeling her cheeks heat up and bloom bright red. As soon as she steadies herself, he lets go and steps back slightly.

"Hello Miss Gilbert."

She's so beautiful but so young which is another reason why he needs to stop thinking about her. When she smiles at him, he wants nothing more than to see her smile like that for the rest of his life. Wanting to engage him in conversation, Elena opens her mouth but stops short when she feels someone grab onto her arm and pull her away. She relaxes when she realizes that it's Caroline. Despite being tugged away, she keeps her eyes on him till he disappears when some of the crowd fills the empty space between them.

* * *

January 12, 1888

Sheila ambles about the house a little slower than normal this morning. She is expected to help out some of the local ladies with the quilting bee. In the midst of putting on his coat, Damon hears her groan. Turning around, he sees her rubbing her knees. Shaking his head, he walks over and pulls the chair out for her to sit. Once she is safely seated, he reaches into one of the cupboards to retrieve her bottle of homemade liniment.

"Thank you, Damon."

"You are not going anywhere today. You can barely move."

"I know you're right but I promised I'd help with the quilting," she adds, rubbing the tonic into her skin.

"You can help another day. I'm going outside to feed the livestock and chop some wood. My stump is aching today too. I think maybe the weather is going to change," Damon adds, putting his cap on and pulling it down over his ears. Despite the unseasonably mild temperature, it's still January, he reasons. He lifts up the curtain. The sun is shining, reflecting off the remnants of snow from last week's blizzard. It's a beautiful day for midwinter.

"But they're expecting me, Damon."

"I refuse to take you when you're barely hobbling along, Sheila. Please just rest and take it easy today," he says and after sharing one last look at her, he walks outside, pulling the door closed behind him. Looking up, Damon marvels at the sky. It' s a beautiful copper color, the air smooth like velvet. He closes the last button on his jacket and then walks toward the barn to check on his animals.

* * *

The first thing Elena does when she sets foot in the school building is collecting some wood to get the fire started. Although it's a nice day, they are still in need of heat. As soon as it's burning hot, she takes off her coat and sits down at her desk. She pulls out her lesson plans and starts going over what she'll be talking about today.

Since this is a little country school, she has children of all ages that she's responsible for. Glancing up at the clock, she knows they'll start arriving soon so she decides to go outside and bring some more wood inside. Although she doubts that they'll use it up today, she would rather do the work when the temperature is tolerable.

After slipping her coat back on, she goes out and behind the school house. She picks up as many logs as she can carry and takes them inside, repeating it till she has a nice amount inside the building.

She goes out once more to pick up a couple of stray logs back on the pile when she sees a rat skittering to get back under the cover of the wood. She screams, tosses the log and goes back inside. With her heart beating like steam engine, she drops into her chair and fans herself, shuddering at the image. Once she calms herself down, she gets up to get a drink of the delicious well water.

The caretaker, Mr. Johansen makes sure they have fresh water everyday, even during the winter. Walking over to the window, she stares outside, looking at the clear blue sky with sparse patches of clouds. She hopes it stays this warm at least until she gets home later today.

* * *

"Johnny, your friends are here to walk to school with you," Mr. Rolag tells his young son. Glancing out through the window, he sees some clouds in the west but he isn't concerned. He scrunches his face up when he spots the neighbor's dog running into his yard and lifting his leg up. Pulling the cigarette out of his mouth, he decides that he's going to have to have a word with Mr. Torgeson about that damn animal.

"I'm ready to go," Johnny says, running into the living room where his dad is still perched near the window. "What's wrong?"

"Sarah's dog relieved himself in our yard again. If they don't control that mutt, I will take my rifle to it," he adds, taking another long pull from his cigarette.

"You can't kill her doggie, father," Johnny protests, cinching his eyebrows disapprovingly.

"You will not take that tone with me young man or I will take the switch to your backside."

Glancing outside once more, he sees Johnny's friends approaching the front door. "Your friends are here. I'll see you after school, young man," he adds, nodding at his son when he walks out of the study. He watches till he hears the front door slam and sees Johnny, Beryl, Timmy and Sarah walk off down the street before they turn the corner to walk the rest of the way to the school building.

* * *

After putting his coat on, Johnny quickly runts outside to join his friends, Beryl, Sarah and Timmy. When they hear running, they turn around just as Josephine reaches them. With the girls in front and the boys behind, they trudge to school. It's a warm day for January so Timmy left his warmer coat at home as did Josephine. Laughing and skipping in the snow, they walk past Mr. Salvatore's farm on their way to the school house.

Johnny starts sniggering when he sees the gimpy legged man scooping some hay for his cows. Picking up a rock, he lobs it at Damon. Since he's too far away from them, the rock falls short. Turning around, Damon stares at them but says nothing and in moments, they take off running down the road, not stopping till they reach the schoolhouse safely.

* * *

Having looked out of the window, Elena notices that snow is beginning to fall in great big fluffy flakes, almost like feathers. Not thinking much of it, she starts walking down the aisles to check on each student's work. As the day wears on, Elena starts to get concerned when by mid afternoon there appears to be eight to twelve inches of the cotton like snow on the ground. Everything looks calm though, there's no wind or noise, the snow is just coming straight down. Since the school day will be done in a few hours, she doesn't think much more about it. Looking at the clock, she goes back to her desk and tells the class to open their math books.

* * *

Damon only has a few head of cattle so he herds them into the barn. While scooping hay, the air is suddenly filled with a terrible roar and in the space of just a few minutes it's as dark as night. Feeling very uneasy, Damon quickly finishes his work and then draws his collar around his neck to get back to the house and to Sheila. The wind is carrying the snow into every crevice, crack, window and door, making little drifts form along the walls of his home. As soon as he reaches the house, he tells Sheila to start lighting some kerosene lamps and that he's very worried about the storm, the windows are literally rattling.

"Now I know why my arthritis is bothering me so much today," she mentions, looking outside through the window to see the snow battering the house. Knowing what time of day it is, she turns around to face Damon. "I hope the school children got home from school okay or that they will be safe in that building."

"Me too, Sheila, me too," Damon agrees, his thoughts immediately drifting to Miss Gilbert. With no way of knowing whether she's at home by now or still at the school, there is nothing he can do but pray for the safety of both her and the children."

* * *

Standing in front of the chalk board, Elena stops what she's doing when a terrible roar fills the room. Almost immediately fierce winds begin to pound against the building making the windows rattle. Moments later darkness settles over the prairie. She lights some extra kerosene lamps. The kids' eyes are fixed on the windows. She can see how afraid they are so she has to do everything she can to try to keep them calm. They can scarcely see outside, the frost is already thick on them.

The draft in the little building is making the temperature drop. Elena starts to feel uneasy and a little panicked herself but she knows she has to keep it together. She can't send the children home in this. It's too dark for them to be able to find their way home plus the wind chill is frigid, the cold seeping into her very bones.

The group huddles together in an attempt to keep warm. Elena puts more wood in stove but with the wind battering the building, it doesn't seem to help a whole lot. She reads them stories to try to maintain some semblance of normalcy but she knows that this storm is anything but normal.

When she pauses to turn the page, a fierce blast lifts the roof off of the schoolhouse. Now more terrified than she's ever been, she tries to stay calm as she explains to the children that they're no longer safe here. They're going to have to try to reach Mr. Salvatore's farm because it's the closest. But with the blinding snow and torrents of wind, she can only pray for if she fails, they will all freeze to death.

Grabbing a rope, she ties them all together so none of them will blindly wander off. It would be all too easy to lose hold of one of their hands she reasons. When another blast of wind knocks over the wood stove, a blaze erupts. With a glance up at the heavens as if to ask for help, Elena gets them out of building and into the blinding darkness of the storm. Fine pellets of snow blow into their eyes and make them water which makes visibility all the more treacherous. With the snow so thick, it's hard to know which direction to go.

"Johnny, hang onto Beryl's hand," Elena instructs when she sees the fearful look on the young boy's face. He's new to Dakota territory and probably hasn't experienced such treacherous winter weather before. The snow drifts are deep which makes for slow going. When she sees Alice stumble, she lifts her up and pulls the girl into her arms. James, one of the older students is last in line.

Because of the roar of the fierce winds, Elena screams telling him to make sure to help any of the other students that may lose their footing. She can feel the little girl trembling hard against her chest so Elena opens her coat to tuck Alice inside. When she feels the rope get taut, she knows one of them fell. Pausing, she turns around and helps Timmy to stand up. Once she does a quick head count, she leads them forward. Silently she prays for her strength to hold out long enough to get them to safety.

There are white out conditions and Elena can only hope that she's leading them the right way and not towards their imminent deaths. Her heart is beating like a steam train. Stumbling forward, she blindly feels around, thanking the heavens when she feels the barbed wire fence that circles Mr. Salvatore's property. Telling the kids to latch on, she knows a poke from the wire is small price to pay if for being alive.

Snow flakes pelt against frozen cheeks, clinging to eyelashes and hair. The subzero temperature numbs exposed skin causing pain in their fingertips and even their toes, making it an exhausting chore to break a trail through accumulating snow drifts. Shivering, teeth begin to chatter and the children hug themselves to stay warm. Their breaths warm their faces briefly before being sucked away by the arctic like blasts of air, cutting through their clothing, chapping their lips and forcing their eyes into a squint. The discomfort they're feeling amplifies from snow drifting down the collars of their coats, into their shoes and boots, and between mittens and cuffs.

The rope goes taut again so Elena has to stop and get them to their feet. She knows that the children are beyond exhaustion but if they're to survive, she has to keep them moving, keep their limbs moving, their blood pumping. It's literally a matter of life and death.

"Are we all together?" she yells, looking behind at James. But with the visibility next to nothing, she can barely see him even though he's only a few feet away. As soon as she hears his voice assuring her that all of them are still somehow standing, she once again leads them forward.

It's freezing, the temperature has to be subzero. Elena cannot recall ever feeling this bitterly cold before. She can hardly feel her fingers but yet she won't let go. She tells the children not to cry or their tears will freeze their eyes shut. Somehow, by what miracle she doesn't know, she sees the faintest glimmer of light not far ahead. Although their limbs move slowly as they're nearly frozen, she manages to get the children to the house. With dead fingers, she starts pounding on the door, begging for entry.

She can hear the dog barking but she's struck at how far away it sounds. Moments later their salvation comes when he opens the door. His mouth drops open but he quickly stands aside and tells them all to come in. Damon throws on his coat and helps the last of the children into his home then immediately adds more wood to the fire telling the children to encircle it so they can start to warm up. There are ice sickles hanging from their hair, their eyelashes and even their brows. Damon has never seen such a sight. Sheila had been cooking a great big pot of soup so Damon adds some wood to the stove to heat it up again. Elena wants to explain but she's too cold, her teeth are literally chattering, her fingers are frozen.

Damon and Sheila dig out every blanket they own using them to drape over the children's shoulders and Elena's of course. With their bodies so cold, they're all sleepy, a side effect of their hypothermia. Since it's fairly warm in the cabin, Damon knows they won't die if they do sleep so they let them drift off while he and Sheila start do everything they can to make their guests more comfortable. As soon as the soup is hot, they'll wake them up and make sure they have something hot in their bellies before they go to sleep.

"Maybe Miss Gilbert can sleep with you and the children can huddle in my bed?" Damon suggests, his eyes drifting over the sleeping brood.

Looking up from stirring the soup, Sheila offers, "I think there are too many children to put in your room. Elena and some of the little girls can sleep in my room and the boys can sleep in yours. There are five boys and six girls. I know we have enough food but I hope you chopped enough wood to keep us warm."

As the words leave her mouth, another fierce gust of wind slams the house, rattling the windows. Damon never forgot his father telling him that their home needed to withstand the hazardous winds that live on the prairie. He knows his house is sturdy but still it would be no match for a tornado. With gale force winds, he prays that it holds together. Having quickly made friends with the kids, Jack is laying with them in front of the fireplace. Damon does recognize a few faces, ones that have made fun of him but in a life or death situation, he has to let it go. They are just kids, he reasons.

"I'm going to bring some more wood in," he tells Sheila and after glancing over at a sleeping Miss Gilbert, he goes outside. Since he cannot see even the barn in front of him, he wraps that rope around him so he won't get lost himself. Facing the frigid cold, Damon shivers uncontrollably as he carries armful after armful of wood, finally going back into the house when he starts to feel a little lightheaded.

When he stumbles, Sheila hurries to help. With her arm firmly around his, she leads him over to the stove to warm him up. Only when she's sure his stance is stable, she lets go and then lifts a cup of broth to his lips, holding it while he swallows it down. After thanking her, he sits down in the chair and starts to take his boots off to slip into the socks that she knit for him.

While the children and Elena are resting, they get the bedrooms ready. He hopes he can keep the place warm enough overnight. He may have to stay awake. Jack will help him. By the time they finish, Sheila's soup is hot. They set the table, pulling out every bowl and cup they have, grateful that there is enough. Since it's only around six in the evening, he figures they'll have to find a way to entertain them for an hour or so till it's time for them to go to sleep for the night. Looking around his house, he has some books and his guitar.

When Sheila senses his unease, she walks over to him, palming his cheek. "Don't worry Damon. They're just children. They will behave."

"I know they learned it from their parents."

"Yes they did and now you have the chance to let them know the real Damon, not the cartoon caricature that the adults created."

"I love you, Sheila," Damon whispers, giving her a hug.

"I love you too. Now let's wake them up so we can feed them."

With deft hands, Damon joggles them awake. Johnny sits up. Rubbing his eyes, he looks around. He is happy when he sees his friends Timmy and Beryl. He notices when Sarah starts to sit up and then little Alice along with a couple of the older kids. Sheila wakes Elena up. She startles, flying out of her chair. As soon as they're all awake and seated, Damon and Sheila pass them out some soup and biscuits. Elena thanks him profusely for giving them shelter because they would surely have died if not for his kindness.

"I just did what anyone would have done Miss Gilbert," Damon says, handing her a bowl of steaming hot chicken noodle soup and a spoon.

"I will never forget you and Miss Sheila's kindness. You saved our lives."

"I'm just glad that I live close enough. Why did you leave the school if you don't mind me asking?"

"We had no choice, the wind blew the roof off and then overturned the stove. The building was ablaze when we ventured into the storm."

"You eat now. Are your fingers better?" he asks, looking at her hands and her still white fingertips.

"They'll be fine," she says, smiling sweetly at him. Then he nods and walks over to sit down by Sheila and have a little to eat himself. When he looks up at Sheila's backside as she fills another bowl for one of the kids, he can't help but imagine Elena doing the same for one of their children. With that happy thought on his mind, he picks up the spoon and starts to eat, pleasantly surprised when little Alice crawls up on his lap. She gives him a small smile and then burrows in against his chest. He knows she's scared but he cannot deny the how nice it feels to experience such kindness from the tiny girl.

* * *

Once the table is cleaned off, Damon pulls out his guitar and starts to play for the children. Elena is completely enamored with him. She knows with absolute certainty that some of these children have been less than kind to him and yet he's doing everything he can to keep them entertained so they don't have time to worry about the weather and if their families are okay.

She shudders to think about some of the parents venturing out to get their kids home from school. Feeling a shiver at the thought, she looks at little Alice who's sitting beside him, a huge smile on her face when Damon sings to her. Still she can't shake her troubling thoughts, by the time the snowstorm passes, some of them could be orphaned. She prays that her fears won't come to pass.

Elena happens to notice the way Miss Sheila is looking at Damon with such pride in her eyes. It's quite obvious to her how much they care for each other. When she hears Damon ask them what song they want to hear, they all squeal "Coming Around the Mountain."

He tells them that they have to sing along. Soon the house is filled with laughter and merriment, almost as if the outside world didn't exist. After an hour or so, Damon puts the guitar down so he can go outside to check on his herd in the barn. Walking over to Elena, he tells her that Sheila has several books if she wants to read to them.

"I think Miss Sheila should read to them," Elena retorts, smiling at him.

"I think that is a fine idea, Miss Gilbert." With that, he turns around to wink at Sheila. He then slips into his warm clothes, again ties the rope around his middle because the visibility is still near zero. After he disappears into the darkness, Sheila pulls out a book and starts reading to them. They're all completely enthralled by Johanna Spyri's ' _Heidi_ '.

They hang on her every word. When she finishes, she gives them each a cookie. Then it's bed time. With Elena's help, they get them settled leaving just the two of them to wait for Damon's return.

While sipping some tea, Elena keeps looking at the door, hoping he'll step through it. Then he does, ice clinging to his eyebrows, his cheeks bright red and yet Elena has never seen anyone more handsome. "It's as if hell is visiting earth, " he remarks, taking off his coat, scarf and hat to hang up. Walking over to the stove, he pours himself some tea as well then sits down. She can clearly see how fatigued he is. Yawning widely, he knows he won't get much sleep laying on the floor since the children are going to be in his bed. His stump is aching. Needing to take it off, he shares a nervous look with Sheila and then removes it. Elena doesn't even bat an eyelash. There is no judgment or look of disgust.

"Does weather like this hurt you?" she asks, her big brown eyes focusing on his face instead of his deformity.

"It does. I was born with a bad leg. The doctors told my parents that I'd only walk if it was removed."

"Look how much you've accomplished, Mr. Salvatore. I think your parents would be very proud of the life you've made for yourself," she says, her smile turning into a yawn. Knowing that's it's late, Sheila insists that they go to bed because the children will be up early wanting breakfast. With a heartfelt thank you to Damon, she follows Sheila into her bedroom. She pauses at the door to take one look over her shoulder, smiling when their eyes meet. She nods slightly and closes the door.

A warm feeling envelopes him as he adds more logs to the fire before pulling the rocking chair close. He pets Jack who's laying at his feet and then drapes himself with some blankets, closes his eyes and hopes to dream of how nice it would be to have _her_ here all the time.

* * *

 _Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You're an amazing group of people. More so than anything else, we're grateful for the friendships we've made. Both of us truly enjoy bringing Damon and Elena stories to you._

 _Since an ocean separates Eva and I, she's often awake to the middle of the night, most times when has to get up early to go to work. Your encouragement and endless support inspires us to keep writing them._ _Thank you again Eva. You inspire me, surprise me and I'm so lucky to have you at my side through this journey of ours._

 _Chapter title: 'Wintery Winds' from Walt Disney's 'Bambi'._

 _I posted two one-shots for Valentine's Day. They're both in the "I Can't Escape Myself" story verse. They're companion pieces, 'Almost Perfect' followed by 'Perfect'._

 _Please also have a look at "November Rain"._

 _Have a fantastic day. Thank you again, you're all the best. Until next time._


	3. Coldest Winter

He tries to look through the window but with the snow and ice packed on, he sees nothing but white. And even if he could see out, the blinding conditions encompassing the area would also make it impossible. When he tried opening the front door a little while ago, he couldn't even see the hedges that line the front of his house. Mr. Rolag is decidedly nervous and yes fearful too. He's worried not only about his son, Johnny, but also for all the other children not to mention Miss Gilbert. He can only hope that the young woman, still a teenager herself had the wherewithal to keep the children at the school instead of trying to send them home.

He jerks his head when he hears his name, looking up just as his wife, Adele closes the distance between them. Having always been a rather untouchable man, he can't help but feel bad when he sees her eyes swollen, red and moist with tears. He knows she's just as frightened if not more than he is. Opening his arms, he embraces her and kisses the top of her head.

"Are the girls asleep?" he asks, thinking of their twin toddlers who are much too young to go to school yet.

"They are. I'm so scared Ole. What if we never see Johnny alive again?"

"Don't say such things. I'm sure the children are all safe in the school building with Miss Gilbert. I know for a fact that there was plenty of firewood cut to keep them warm. I will admit that they'll probably get hungry but they're not going to die without food for a couple of days. They have water and they can last on that till the storm lets up. We can't go out in this, Adele, it's would be suicide. As soon as the blizzard blows itself out, the other men and I will bring them home."

"I know, Ole. I know. I just pray all of them are safe," she adds, letting her husband lead her out of the room and up the stairs to their bedroom.

* * *

"Mr. Salvatore seems like a fine man," Elena muses, her face heating up when she sees Sheila smile at her.

"Yes, he is. I've known him since he was a baby. His parents were good people too, they adored their little boy. Damon was their world. As with any parent, they wanted their only child to be perfect and in their eyes, he was. It wasn't his handicap that broke his mother's heart, it was the children that ostracized him because he was different. He would come home from school miserable, sometimes even bruised and bloodied. Between Lillian, his mother and myself, we schooled him, he's a very smart young man."

"I don't know why some people only look skin deep?" Elena mentions, shifting in bed to face Sheila.

Sheila gives her hand a squeeze. "When he got older, I left the family to take care of my mother. After she passed, I ran into Damon again. He invited me to join him here. Although with weather like this, I sometimes wonder what I was thinking." She laughs, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm glad you have each other."

"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." Sheila covers her mouth to stifle a yawn.

"I'm tired too."

Sheila nods and blows out the lamp and buries herself under the covers, "Goodnight, Miss Elena."

"Goodnight."

Sometime later, Elena finds herself restless and unable to sleep. It's not that she's in an unfamiliar place, she feels very safe and comfortable with Damon and Sheila but she is worried about the children and their families. She only hopes that their parents stayed safe and warm in their homes rather than venture out to try to bring the kids home. She would certainly understand if they did do that, she knows that if she was a parent, she'd want her child home with her if the weather was so treacherous.

Alert to her surroundings, she suddenly hears whimpering sounds. Sitting up carefully so as not to awaken Sheila, she listens more intently and then she hears it again. Thinking that maybe it's one of the children in the other room, she ever so gently gets out of bed, borrows Miss Sheila's robe that is hanging at the foot of the bed and then steps out of the bedroom, pushing the door shut as quietly as she possibly can.

Looking around, she sees Damon writhing seemingly in agony on the floor. He has his stump pulled up against his stomach as he rubs it repeatedly. Jake is licking at him, trying his hardest to help his master. Hurrying over to him, she drops to her own knees to see what she can do to help him.

"Mr. Salvatore?" she says softly, brushing a tuft of hair off of his forehead.

"Huh?" he asks, his eyes snapping open.

"It's me, Elena. What can I do?" she asks, her soft hand still pressed against his forehead.

"My leg," he groans, his face contorted in agony. Sweat is beading on his face despite the chill in the room.

"Do you have some medicine or some liniment of something?"

"Cupboard," he pants, rolling over to bury his face in the pillow. It literally hurts to see him in such pain. Jumping to her feet, she quickly goes into the kitchen area, opening cupboards till she finds the bottle of red liquid. Without bothering to shut the door, she hurries to him. Sitting on the floor, she opens the bottle, grimacing when she gets a whiff of it. Although she knows her hands are going to reek of the stuff, she pours some into her palm and starts to rub it into his stump to just above his knee.

Elena can literally feel his muscles relax under her touch. By the time she finishes, he's looking at her with such admiration in those intense blue eyes of his. She finds herself nearly drowning in them when Jack starts licking at her hand, startling her out of her reverie. When he tells her thank you, she feels the sensation all over again. Picking up her hand, he grazes it with the wispiest of kisses.

"Thank you, Miss Gilbert."

"Please call me Elena. You're very welcome."

"Only if you call me Damon," he retorts, not yet letting go of her hand.

"You have yourself a deal. Are you okay now?"

"I am. Thank you again."

"I'm going to go back to bed before Miss Sheila finds me missing. Goodnight, Damon."

"Goodnight, Elena," he replies, watching her back away, his eyes never leaving hers till she slips into the bedroom and closes the door.

* * *

When Damon wakes the next morning, he rubs a little more liniment on his stump before putting his prosthetic on. He walks over to the window to look outside. The window panes are a work of art. They almost look like they could be in a cathedral, the ferns are intricately etched into the glass. Although he hates to mar such beauty, he scrapes a little away so he can peer through it. The trees shiver in the bitter wind, their once naked branches now adorned with snow.

The sky is perfectly clear. The sun is shining its brightest. Smoke billows in a perfect spiral into the sky from other nearby farm houses. The earth is covered with great drifts that sparkle like diamonds as far as the eye can see. Damon is certain that the temperature is still way below zero and not fit for the children to venture out in. He has no idea how long they'll be snow bound here with him. Hearing a little noise, he looks over his shoulder, smiling when he sees Sheila start to pull some coffee out of the cupboard.

"Can you add some more wood to the fire?"

"That was my plan."

"If you can reach the barn to bring in some eggs, we'll have them with side pork for breakfast."

"That's sounds tasty Sheila. I'll get to it," he says, walking away from the window to put his denim pants, boots and coat on. After Sheila makes sure his scarf is secure around his neck and that he has gloves on, she watches as he walks out into the deep snow with Jake following behind him. Taking a scoop, he begins to a clear a path towards his barn. It's grueling work. His back and arms and legs are hurting by the time he reaches the barn.

Fortunately though, it isn't a huge distance from his house. When he was born disabled, his father wanted to do everything he could to accommodate him, one of which was to rebuild the barn close to the house when their old one was leveled by a tornado. Once he reaches his destination, he feeds his animals and gives them a little love while he's at it. After nuzzling a little with his horses, he picks up a pail and starts to gather some eggs. When the bucket is full, he tightens the scarf around his neck and limps back towards the house. Just as he reaches for the doorknob, he's surprised when the door opens. He can't help but smile when he's greeted by _her_ beaming face.

"Good morning," she says, quickly pushing the door shut once he steps though.

"Good morning, Elena," he returns her smile with a beaming one of his own. Setting the bucket down, he slips out of his coat and then hangs it up on the rack. He shakes his limbs a little to get the blood pumping and then picks up the pail and hands sets it on the counter for Sheila.

"It seems our young guests would like pancakes, Damon. Do you feel like mixing some up?"

"You all want pancakes?" Damon asks, looking at the children that are sitting around the fireplace.

"Yeah," they scream altogether.

"Okay, but you have to eat them."

"We will," little Alice adds, clapping her hands. Damon can't help but smile at the little girl.

"If it warms up a little bit, maybe some of you would like to help me feed the animals?" Damon asks, cracking eggs into a bowl then adding flour and some cow's milk.

"You'd let us?" Beryl asks, looking at him excitedly.

"Of course," Damon replies, dropping some water onto the frying pan to make sure it's hot enough. Seeing that it is, he uses a ladle to spoon batter. With Sheila's help, he makes a huge batch. Sheila motions for the children to sit down. They dig in and it makes his heart feel good when they tell him how good they are. When the children are done, Damon sits down with Sheila and Elena to have some breakfast himself.

"How long do you think before we can get them home?"

"I don't know. They don't like me very much, they usually plow this road last," he mentions, dropping his eyes so as not to see any pity. He doesn't want her pity. He wants her affection and after looking up to give her a smile, he finishes eating and then helps Sheila with the clean up.

* * *

Worrying all night about the thought of having to go after his son and the other children, Mr. Rolag had a very restless night. Up at the first light of day, he summons the staff to make coffee and get breakfast ready. Once he dresses, he sends another of his employees to send the neighboring men over so they can go about the task of clearing the road to the school.

An hour and a half later, several of the men are assembled in his parlor. Once they decide which road to start on, they bundle up to get their horse drawn plows ready. Enterprising inventors were issued the first patents for snow plows in the 1840s, but several years passed before the plow designs were put to use. One of the first mentions of snow plow use comes from Milwaukee in 1862. The plow was attached to a cart pulled by a team of horses through the snow-clogged streets. Over the next several years, horse-drawn plows gained popularity and came into use in many other Northeastern cities.

Being a businessman, Mr. Rolag has never had to do such menial work but since Johnny is one of the stranded children, he puts on his winter outerwear and then follows the men outside. He follows Beryl's dad, helping him best he can to get the plow attached and secured. Hopping onto the wagon with him, the men get behind the others and start to clear the road. With the wind chill still very, very cold, Mr. Rolag pulls his scarf tighter around his neck.

Progress is painstakingly slow but they have no choice but to continue on if they want to bring their children home today.

* * *

To entertain the children, Damon takes them outside with him to help feed his chickens and the horses. There are some stray cats that live in the recesses of the barn too that he always makes sure to give them something to eat as well. The children watch intently as he milks his cows. Most of these children live in town so they're not used to seeing such things. With his help, little Alice sprinkles chicken food. Johnny and Beryl found one of the cats and are busy petting it. Because of the cold, Damon doesn't want to keep them out too long. On the way back to the house, Damon hands them some old bread crumbs that Sheila gave him. They sprinkle them on the snow so the pigeons have something to eat too.

Once they're safely back inside, Damon pours himself a cup of coffee to warm up while Sheila uses the milk he carried inside to make hot cocoa for the children. They're sitting around in the living room playing checkers and cards while the older girl, Millicent is reading to Alice and Sarah.

Elena is sitting at he table with him. While she waits for the milk to heat up, Sheila sits down too. Setting his cup down, he encircles it with his hands. "I think that I should try to get to town to tell them that the children are safe," Damon offers, bracing for the backlash that he knows is coming.

"Absolutely not," Sheila retorts in her all too familiar scolding voice.

"But Sheila, I'm sure they're worried sick about their kids."

"I would imagine they are but it won't help them if you die trying to get to town. I know you're a strong man, Damon, but you'd never make it through that thick snow and you know it. I'm not ready to lose you."

"If my opinion matters, I agree with Sheila. It's better if we all stay safe. Besides won't they be bringing the plows through soon?"

"They'll likely try to clear the other road first. That's what they always do. I'm not exactly a priority to them."

"That's their problem not yours. Please don't go Damon," Elena asks, her throat thick with worry.

Her concern gives him a warm feeling inside. Still, he would hate to think of not knowing where a child of his own might be after such a storm. "Alright, I'll stay for now but if they don't come by sometime tomorrow, we'll have to get word to them that their children are safe here."

"That's a problem for tomorrow," Sheila says, from her perch in front of the wood stove. "Alright kids, the hot chocolate is done." Within a matter of seconds, they're all standing in line to get a glassful of the creamy goodness.

* * *

By the time the plows finally reach the school's property, the men are in shock to find it burnt to the ground. Desperate to learn their children's fate, they go through the charred remnants of the building. There isn't much left but they do breathe more easily when they find the site bereft of human remains.

But because it's late in the day, the sun will be setting soon, they know they can't begin to plow Salvatore's road till tomorrow at the earliest. They can only hope that their children aren't frozen to death, their bodies being uncovered when the thaw starts. The mere thought of such horror turns Mr. Rolag's stomach as well as those of his companions.

With their hearts in their stomachs, they turn the horses around to take them home. Looking out over the horizon, the man sees only white, acres and acres of white shimmering snow.

* * *

 _Eva and I want to thank you all very much._

 _Both of us truly enjoy bringing Damon and Elena stories to you. We're still plugging away at "Welcome to the Jungle". I can't wait till we have a little more written so I can start posting it. We're also in the middle of "Ripples of Fear" and we're in plotting stage of "Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer." Damon and Elena will be astronauts in it so I'll be neck deep researching the ISS among other things._ _Your encouragement and endless support inspires us._

 _Thank you again Eva. Your brilliance inspires me and I'm so lucky to have you on my side. Love you._

 _Chapter title: 'Coldest Winter' by Pentatonix._

 _Please also have a look at "November Rain"._

 _Have a fantastic day. Thank you again, you're all the best. Until next time._


	4. Underneath

As darkness falls on the second night, Damon pauses to look upward. Deep in thought, he stares at the midnight sky. Although the air is crisp and frigid, it is a gorgeous panorama of glittering stars as far as the eye can see. The pristine snow drifts glisten under the light of the moon. His breath is frosty in front of his face so he tightens the scarf that Sheila knit for him, readjusting it to cover his mouth and nose. He stares at the serene landscape for a few more moments and then goes back inside the house.

As soon as he steps over the threshold, he's greeted by the gaggle of children. They tug at his coat and start to drag him into the other room to read them a story.

"Alright children, let Mr. Salvatore take his coat and hat off so he can warm up a little," Elena says, shooing them back over by the fire. She smiles at Damon and then hands him a steaming mug full of apple cider. As soon as he hangs up his coat, he takes it from her, taking a long sip, savoring the taste.

"Thank you, Miss Elena," he adds, smiling. Feeling the pain of the frosty weather deep inside his stump, he hobbles over to the table. About to take another swallow, he feels a tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he smiles at Alice and pulls her onto his lap.

"Will you read to us, Mr. Damon?"

"Is that what you want?" he asks, his gaze drifting over her head where he meets Sheila's shimmering eyes. The little girl bobs her head excitedly so Damon tells her to go to pick a book off of the shelf while he drinks his coffee. "Then I'll read to you."

"Okay," she says and jumps off of his lap to run over to the other side of the room. Minutes later she is back thrusting a book towards him. It's called 'The Lost Kitten". Taking the book in hand, he pulls the little child back onto his lap and then starts to read. As he turns the page, the other children are circling around him, listening with rapt attention as he reads the story, his voice full of expression. He makes faces which makes the children laugh and clap. By the time he finishes, Sheila and Elena begin to herd them into the rooms to get some sleep.

When everyone has retired for the night, Damon sits in front of the fire place, trying to keep warm himself. He rocks back and forth with Jack at his feet. Occasionally Damon reaches down to pet him and give him a treat. Yawning, he gets up to reach a blanket and then lays down beside Jack on the floor. His leg aches again but he doesn't want to wake her or anyone so he tries not to groan aloud. Still, all he can think about is how she came to comfort him last night and how nice it would be for her to come again. With her beautiful face in his mind, he closes his eyes, hoping sleep will come soon.

* * *

The men are gathered in his foyer chatting loudly so Olaf tries to bring order. With worry for their kids trumping everything else, their tempers are beginning to flare. "Why should we waste time clearing Salvatore's road? We should be looking for our children?" Gustave Gunderson says, taking a puff from his cigarette.

"The problem, Gustave, is that we don't know where to look and if there's the slightest chance that they'd go there...," Beryl's father retorts, blowing out a mouthful of smoke himself.

"Why on earth would they go THERE?" Mr. Norgard questions, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Because his place is the closest," Mrs. Rolag interrupts.

"But Salvatore is no good to anyone," her husband replies, raising an eyebrow at her for daring to add to the conversation.

"I know you think that but he wouldn't turn helpless children away. You know that, no one would."

Shaking his head, he sighs and then finally acquiesces to her request. "Alright men, lets get to his road. Maybe a miracle will be waiting for us."

With that, the men button their coats, put their hats back on and stomp out of the house, the last man, slamming the door shut so hard that Mrs. Rolag jumps.

* * *

Waking up first as usual, Damon stretches his limbs and then sits up. His faithful dog is always at his side, he loves him almost as much as he loves Sheila but not quite. The two of them have been through a lot together. When he was so sick last year, Jack slept on the bed with him, even alerting Sheila when he was delirious with fever. When he starts to rub against his leg, he leans over only to be rewarded with a wet nose to his face. He laughs and ruffles his fur, scratches his ears and then he lifts himself onto the rocker. His arms are pretty bulky with muscle since he has only one leg to stand on, one real leg that is.

Reaching for his prosthesis, he puts it on and then goes into the kitchen to start the wood stove. He distributes what's left of the wood between the fireplace and the wood stove. As soon as he puts some water on to cook for coffee, he puts his coat, boots and hat on before going outside to chop some wood. Swinging the axe with gusto, he splits several logs and then starts to carry them up towards the house. Even though he knows that he's nowhere near done, he goes inside to get breakfast first. Stepping through the door, he smiles when he smells the fresh aroma of bacon. He stomps off the excess snow and then takes off his coat when he sees Sheila set a plate on the table for him.

Damon goes into the kitchen. Taking a seat, he thanks Sheila when she pours a cup of coffee for him. "Are the children still sleeping?"

"They are. Elena is too," she adds, taking a seat beside Damon. She hands him a fork and then starts to eat herself. The two of them enjoy breakfast in companionable silence.

"I'm going to have to try to do something about them today. I know they are some of the least likable people on the planet but they miss their parents and I don't want these kids to be orphaned either."

"You're right but you should wait till the sun is a little higher in the sky, it won't be as cold out."

"I will, Sheila," he says, sticking a slice of bacon into his mouth. By the time he finishes, the children pile out of the room and walk over to the table. They are all yawning which makes Damon laugh. When his eyes meet Elena's, he smiles despite himself. She returns it and nods, taking the seat that Sheila vacates, thanking her when she hands her some coffee.

"Well, I have to go out and feed the animals and chop a little more wood. Then I'm going to try to get to town to let them know that the kids are safe."

"Mr. Damon, you be careful," Alice says, looking at him sadly. His insides warm with happiness. She's such a sweet little girl. If only he could be a father someday, he would cherish his daughter or son with all that he has.

"I'll be careful, Alice. Don't worry about me. You want to see your momma and papa don't you?"

"Ah ha," she mumbles bobbing her head up and down. He runs his finger along her jawbone and when she looks up, he gives her a big smile then stands up, lifting her into his seat. While they eat, he bundles up again to go outside. Johnny, Beryl and Timmy ask to come outside with him. Damon is wary because of the cold but makes them promise that they'll come back after a short romp in the snow. When they agree, they bundle up and follow him outside. While he chops the logs, they carry them close to the house.

Suddenly, Beryl looks up, pointing toward the road. He starts waving frantically. Damon follows his line of sight and then sees the parents slowly approaching. As soon as they get close enough, they jump out of their carriages and run towards Damon's house. Although he's nervous, his heart beating wildly against his ribs, Damon invites them in. One of them gets toe to toe with him irrationally yelling at him, "You had our kids here all this time and didn't even attempt to let us know that they were safe."

The others stare at the man incredulously but don't say anything to him. With Sheila's help, the children get their coats and boots on and then follow their parents out through the door. A couple of the men thank him formally but still look at Damon as if he was an outcast or not worthy which infuriates both Elena and Sheila. When Alice reaches the door, she pulls her arm free from her dad's and runs over to Damon. She wraps them around his leg and gives him a hug.

"Goodbye, Mr. Damon," she says, tears in her eyes.

Carefully Damon stoops down and gives her a hug not paying attention to what her father may be thinking. As soon as they part, she waves and says bye, bye before disappearing through the door. Blowing out a breath of air, he watches from the window as the horse drawn wagons pull away. He startles when he hears her voice, not realizing that somehow she got left behind.

"They are the most rude, ungrateful people I have ever had the displeasure of knowing," she snaps, swallowing down what's left in her coffee cup.

"They've always been like that, Elena," Damon adds, resigned to it.

"I don't care. You saved their children and they didn't even show any gratitude!"

Not knowing what to say, Damon puts on his heavier clothes and says, "I'll get my wagon ready and take you home," before walking outside and pulling the door closed behind him.

"I hate this Sheila. You and Damon bent over backwards to help us and they weren't the least bit grateful or if they were, they have a funny way of showing it."

"I know, dear, but he thinks he deserves it, they've always treated him as a pariah."

"It's not true though. He's a wonderful man."

"He is and he's outside so you need to bundle up now."

Nodding, Elena embraces her and then goes to Damon, crawling into the seat with his help. The ride is quiet. Elena's scarf is covering her mouth and nose. When he reaches her home, he lifts her down and then walks her to the door. Mr. Rolag's servant opens the door to let her in, slamming the door in his face as soon as she steps over the threshold. Dropping his eyes, he walks back to his carriage and starts to go home. He smiles thinking about the last two days. He would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the children's company and most especially _hers_.

But now she's gone and all he has left are his memories.

* * *

When Monday rolls around, it's time for the children to go back to school. Mr. Rolag walks out of his office, surprised to see his son getting ready without having to be told repeatedly like normal.

"Why are you so eager to go to school today?" he asks, looking up to see Elena when he hears footsteps.

"We're going to go to Mr. Salvatore's farm to help him with the wood. He used most of his up to keep us warm," Johnny explains, pulling his hat down over his ears. Although Elena keeps her face neutral rather than provoke the man, she smiles on the inside. Mr. Rolag's mouth parts, stunned at what his son said. He feels shame for brushing the man off the way he does but still can't find it in his sometimes cold heart to give the man the credit that he deserves.

Taking Elena's hand, Johnny leads her outside just as the other kids are hurrying towards his house. Since the school building burned down, they're having class in the church hall. The minister, Pastor Fell lets them inside. After he gives a blessing the kids tell him about Damon and how he saved them.

When Johnny, Beryl and even Alice tell him that they're going to go to his house, he offers to go with them. Shunning lessons for the day, Elena decides they'll have a field trip and so they quickly put their coats and stuff back on and head towards Damon's place.

Damon and Sheila are both stunned when Pastor Fell, Elena and the children arrive at the farmhouse ready to work. He can't believe they came to help him and because he doesn't want to hurt their feelings, he has no choice than accept it. Together they carry wood from a more distant barn-like structure to the one that's closer to the house. When lunchtime arrives, Sheila calls them for hot soup and fresh bread. The kids sit at the table, thanking Sheila as she dishes each of them a bowl full of the yummy chicken noodle soup. Damon doesn't have time to talk to Elena but he's happy just to see her smiling and interacting with the kids.

Pastor Fell takes Damon aside. The man, unlike his nephew Tobias, has always been very kind both to himself and Sheila so he isn't nervous.

"I just wanted to say thank you, Damon. You saved these their lives." He spreads his arm, motioning towards where they're all enjoying Sheila's soup.

"I did what anyone would have done, Pastor."

"Yes but not everyone is a target of these people. You need to know that there are people who like and respect you," he adds. Taking Damon's hand in his, he shakes it vigorously, gives his shoulder a pat and then walks over to speak to Sheila.

After the kids finish eating and help Sheila clean up, they carry a little more wood up. As soon as they finish, Elena announces that they need to get back before the sun goes down. Damon is sad to see them leave. He's grown very fond of these kids. Watching him watch Elena, Sheila smiles and then closes the door as soon as the last child vacates the house.

"Why don't you ask her out, Damon?" Sheila asks, tilting her head slightly at the young man she loves so much. Shaking his head back and forth, Damon retreats to his room. As much as he'd like to do that, he doesn't believe himself worthy of a woman like her.

* * *

Because of the severity of the storm and the way it seemingly struck out of the blue, the death toll was rather high. By the time all the funerals are done, Pastor Fell arranged for another church supper to thank everyone for their help with the burials and donations to the indigent families. He also mentions that thanks to Miss Gilbert's clear thinking and Mr. Salvatore's help that none of the children were among the victims.

Damon and Sheila are sitting at a table eating their food. Some of the children walk over to say hello, Damon smiles and thanks Alice when she hands him a cupcake. Not all the parents are spurning him anymore. Some have thanked him and offered to help at the farm. Some of the more wealthy parents still look at him like he isn't one of them. He misses Elena a lot. When their eyes meet from across the hall, Damon finds himself about to drown in them. Summoning his courage, he decides to try to talk to her. It's not easy for him, not at all. Every time, he gathers his courage and stands up, it seems someone approaches and starts to visit with her.

Bored, Elena wants nothing more than to go to Damon and Sheila's table. Despite the fact that Damon saved their children's lives and gave them shelter, most although not all of these people are still as snobbish and shallow as before. She misses him. Her fingers still tingle where he kissed them that night. When Mrs. Norgard walks away, Damon is walking towards her. She smiles widely when their eyes meet.

Damon can feel his heart slamming against his throat but somehow he gets the words out. "Hello, Miss Elena," he says, bowing ever so slightly. She can see a bit of blush begin to wash over his face. He's about to sit down when out of nowhere Matt Donovan steps between the two of them. He ignores Damon completely while making conversation with her. He wants to stay but as he looks at the man smirking at him, he retreats knowing that he's a better fit for her.

Elena knows his self esteem is sorely lacking given the way he has been treated for his whole life. Standing up, she crosses her arms over her bosom and asks Mr. Donovan, "Why would you do that?"

"Why would I do what?" he asks incredulously, looking at her like he doesn't have a clue.

Although she wants to ask him if he's really that thick, decorum and manners prevent her from doing so. "Why were you so rude to Mr. Salvatore?"

Rolling his eyes, he goes onto tell her that she shouldn't waste her time on a cripple. Irate, Elena slaps him hard and tells him that he could learn some manners from Mr. Salvatore and then she walks away. Because Damon walked outside, he doesn't hear Elena rebuff Matt but Sheila does. The older woman smiles happily because she's pretty sure that the young school teacher is just as smitten with Damon as he is with her.

* * *

 _Thank you all for everything, for caring about this story, for caring about Damon and Elena, for everything you do for Eva and me. We are in awe of your support and friendships, it means so much and we are truly grateful to and for each and every one of you._

 _Thank you Eva, I love you dearly._

 _Chapter title: 'Underneath' by Adam Lambert._

 _'November Rain' will update next._

 _I hope you all have a terrific day and a lovely evening. Thank you all again for everything. You're the best. Hugs all around._


	5. You Make My Dreams

Feeling the cold seep into his bones and the wind cutting harshly at his marrow, Damon shoves his hands in his coat pocket. His breath billows out in front of him, the air's chill turning it into a puff of soft frost. Realizing that he left Sheila inside, Damon blows out another frosty one and then heads back inside. Just as he's about to put his hand on the door knob, he is waylaid, pulled aside by Matt Donovan so hard that he nearly stumbles.

"Excuse me?" Damon asks when he rights himself.

Matt rounds on him like a tiger closing in on its prey. Pressing the tip of his index finger against Damon's chest, he warns him with a smug tone, "Listen Salvatore, you and I both know that you're not man enough for a woman like Miss Gilbert. You need to back off, she's mine."

Before Damon can utter a word, Donovan sneers at him then straightens his suit jacket and walks away.

Staring down at his prosthetic leg, Damon shakes his head back and forth. Several uneasy moments pass before he turns around and goes back inside the church hall. He starts to walk back over to where Sheila is still seated when someone else bumps into him. The man excuses himself and then walks off. Damon sits back down and tries to eat his piece of cake but he can't seem to keep his eyes off of her.

When he hears Donovan's voice again, he looks up just as he steps in front of Elena yet again. For whatever reason, he feels compelled to look around, surprised to see so much attention focused on the two of them.

Damon notices when the usual suspects turn their disapproving stares at him. Although he's not surprised, it bothers him deeply so he sets his fork down and walks out.

Having seen everything, Sheila is more than a little irate. How these so called God fearing people could treat a man with such contempt is hypocritical beyond words. Since she knows he won't come back this time, she slips her coat on and vacates the building, joining him in their carriage for the ride back to the farm.

* * *

Sitting in his chair in front of the fireplace with Jack at his feet, Damon stares into the oranges and yellows as they lash up towards the chimney. The thick wood pieces are crackling and popping as the bright flame slowly eats them away and turns them into black ash. The dancing fire licks and spits at the hearth with its glowing, bright golden flame and it's red base shimmering across the wood like dawn on a summer morning. He has always liked the sounds and smells of the fire as it consumes the fuel that keeps it burning.

As hard as he tries, he can't get what Donovan said to him out of his mind. _Who could ever learn to love a beast?_

Although his eyes stay fixed on the flames, he reaches down to pet his dog when he starts to lick at Damon's bare foot.

His demeanor doesn't go unnoticed by Sheila. He's been very quiet since they left the church. She pulls the other rocker next to his and sits down. She hands Jack a bone, he grabs on eagerly and starts to gnaw on it.

With the dog busy, she lays her hand on Damon's forearm and tilts her head slightly. When Damon turns his head to meet her gaze, she asks, "Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing that I didn't already know," he mumbles, his eyes drifting back to the charred wood. Standing up, he throws a couple of more logs on the fire and then sits back down.

"Damon, tell me what happened?"

"Donovan told me that I am to keep my distance from Miss Elena because she's his."

"Really? Does she know that?"

"I know they were talking to each other," he adds, ruffling Jack's fur again as he continues to chomp on his treat.

"I'll have you know that she slapped him... Hard."

"Really?" Damon asks, a little fierceness in his voice now.

"She sure did. So I think you should give her more credit. And you shouldn't write her off as belonging to anyone yet. But I will say this, Damon. I know you like her but you need to do something before she does belong to someone else."

When Damon turns his head to face her, she adds, "Just think about it okay? I think she likes you too. You know I love you as if you were my own son and you're a good man. If nothing else, believe that." Sheila finishes then stands up, presses a kiss to the crown of his head and after saying goodnight, she goes to bed.

Although Damon finds it hard to believe that Elena likes him in that way, the fact that she slapped Donovan brings a smile to his face.

* * *

Several weeks later:

Because of Donovan staking his claim on Elena, Damon has become somewhat of an expert at avoiding her. Despite what Sheila said, he cannot convince himself that any woman, especially one as kind and as beautiful as she would ever be interested in a man like him.

Even though he's been trying to stay clear of her, whenever they're at the same event, Damon can't help but keep an eye out for her. When Pastor Fell gives the closing prayer, they sing the song as he walks down the aisle to stand outside to greet his parishioners. As soon as it's their turn to exit their pew, Damon stands up, backing away slightly to leave room for Sheila to walk out in front of him.

Once they're outside, Damon breathes in some of the fresh air, the smell of green grass is soothing to him. Sheila tells him that she's going to go over to speak to the reverend so Damon stands aside and out of the way.

He looks around the staircase and glances down over the sidewalk leading to the road. Clusters of people are visiting. The ladies are wearing the Sunday best, frilly hats and all, the men in the best suits. He continues to peruse the crowd, stopping when he sees _her_ visiting with Donovan.

Although she has a smile on her face, it looks forced and not genuine. When he puts his hat back on his head and walks away, Damon makes up his mind. His hands are clammy, his belly is alight with nerves and his heart is pounding painfully in his chest but he's determined to go through with this. He puts one foot in front of the other to approach her when out of nowhere, Donovan sidesteps him, stopping only when he's in front of Elena again.

"It's now or never," Damon mumbles under his breath.

Stiffening his posture, he closes the distance between them and him. As soon as Elena looks up, he slides his arm in, linking it with hers.

"What the..?" Matt snorts indignantly.

"Miss Gilbert prefers not to be bothered," Damon says firmly and starts to lead her away from him. The man reaches up and grabs Damon by the shoulder but when he sees the determined look in his eyes, he backs off.

After tipping his hat to Elena, Matt trots down the steps and hurries away. It's then that Damon realizes that he's made a scene. Seeing all of the distasteful looks on the congregants' faces, Damon swallows past the lump in his throat, mumbling to her that Sheila is waiting for him. After putting his hat back on his head, he disappears down the stair case not slowing down till he reaches his carriage.

* * *

Construction has begun on a new school building. The plans are for it to be a much sturdier structure. In the meantime, Elena continues to teach the children in the church hall. After they finish their science work, she tells them to open their English books. She assigns them quiet time to read the next two chapters. While they do so, she sits down to look over the math problems she has ready for them to tackle when their reading assignment is done.

She stares at the problems but her mind is simply not on class today. She can't help but think about Damon. She hasn't seen him for several weeks although she has seen Miss Sheila at Sunday services. When she looks up at the clock, she stands up to tell them to put their English textbooks away. About to tell them to pull out their Math books, she happens to notice Johnny waving his arm wildly above his head.

"What is it Johnny?" she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Can we go to the farm to see Mr. Salvatore? Maybe he'd let us look at the animals and stuff?"

"It's a longer walk to his house. Are you up for that?" she asks, quite certain that they won't want to walk that far.

"It's only a couple of miles. Please, Miss Gilbert?"

"Get your math books out. I have some problems for you to do. When they're finished, we'll see about going outside. That's the best I can promise."

"Okay," he replies despondently, opening up his math book when she tells them which page. Sitting back down, she looks over the students. Their heads are all buried in their books. Suddenly she feels a tug on her dress.

"What is it, Alice?" she asks, looking at the little girl curiously.

"Don't you like Mr. Salvatore? I like him lots."

Her mouth parts and she stares at the little girl for a moment not quite sure what to say. Her eyes drift from Alice to the other kids who are now looking at her intently as well. "Um, yes, I like Mr. Salvatore. He was very kind to share his home with us."

"Can we go to say hi then?" Alice asks, adding, "Please can we?"

Feeling her heart begin to skitter at the thought of seeing him again, she smiles and stands. "Why yes, it'll do us good to take a walk in the fresh air. The sun is shining brightly and it's a very pleasant day. But if we go, you have to promise to give me your full attention for tomorrow's lessons."

"We promise," they all say at the same time because the room fills with applause.

"Alright then, let's go."

"Yay," they squeal and hurry out of the church. Once Elena is outside, they start to walk down the street and onto the road that leads to their destination. As for Elena, she's determined to have a few words with Mr. Salvatore herself.

* * *

When they reach his farm, they see him outside working on some of his fencing. The children break out in a run to go say hi to him. Damon is stunned but delighted, even lifting Alice into his arms. His heart grows three sizes when she puts her little arms around his neck and gives him a hug. He sets her down then shakes each of the kids hands and expresses how happy he is to see them.

Taking Alice's tiny hand in one of his, he offers Sarah the other. Glancing to his right, he can't help the smile that forms anew when he sees Elena.

"I think Miss Sheila is making some cookies today. Should we go find out?" he asks, winking at Alice. He has such a soft spot for that little one. As soon as they reach the house, Sheila having heard the commotion, pulls open the door, smiling herself when she sees their guests. She walks outside to greet them, links her arm with Elena's and leads them inside, telling them to have a seat while she gets them some cookies and milk.

Once they're eating and being entertained by Sheila, he goes back outside with Jack. "Some watchdog you turned out to be," he says, rubbing his head. "You didn't even bark when those kids showed up."

"That's because he knows us," Elena offers, stepping outside, pulling the door closed behind her.

"I suppose that's right," Damon admits.

"Where have you been, Damon? I've missed you."

"Um, Miss Elena, I.. apologize for overstepping my boundaries at the church that day. Besides, um..., I thought you were with Mr. Donovan. He told me that you were his."

"He did what?" she asks incredulously, her mouth falling open in disgust. As soon as she can speak through her anger, she marches right up to Damon.

"Do you really believe I would go out with an arrogant clown like Mr. Donovan?"

Seeing how angry she is, Damon slowly shakes his head back and forth. It's then that Elena steps even closer to him. She whispers, "It's you that I want to be with Damon. No. One. Else."

Too stunned to speak, Damon's eyes drift from her mouth to her eyes and finally back to her mouth. With his adrenaline peaking, he cups her cheeks and when he sees her subtle nod, he drops his mouth to hers, kissing her like it's his first kiss ever and it is.

When they part, Damon happens to notice the kids all smiling as they watch them through the window. Damon breaks out into raucous laughter, Elena blushes profusely. Sheila then herds them away from it, allowing them a little privacy.

Wanting another taste, Damon's soft caress becomes hot, fiery and demanding. He savors her lips and the quickening of his breath matches her own.

"Elena," he whispers slowly, prolonging each syllable as if trying to imprint them on his soul.

"You're good at that," she says, touching her mouth wispily with her fingertips.

"I've been saving up," Damon says, winking at her, his self confidence growing by the second. He offers his hand, she latches on and then the two of them go into the house to have a few cookies themselves.

* * *

Six Years Later:

After that day at the farm, Damon and Elena began to date. They spent all of their free time together. She continued to teach the children and during the summer months when class was not in session, she spent a lot of her time at the farm, helping Damon with the animals and just spending time together. Later that year he asked her to marry him.

The following summer they married on a bright and sunny June afternoon in his meadow surrounded by wildflowers, the children, Jack and his other animals. Elena's family took the train from Chicago to attend.

Pastor Fell married them. Sheila walked Damon down the aisle. Since he's never been close to any of the town folk, a new resident, Elijah stood up for him, the two men becoming fast friends after he bought the acreage next to the farm. Not long after he and his wife, Eva moved in, they showed up at the house, bringing an apple pie with them to get acquainted with himself and Sheila.

After the wedding, Elena moved into the house with her husband and Sheila. She offered to move out, find a place of her own but Damon wouldn't hear of it, insisting that she's his, now their family. Not long after that, the town's people surprised them when they showed up to help organize a house raising get together.

The men pounded the wood and built the addition to the home while the women got the food ready. When nightfall came, the additional structure was standing proudly. Several of the locals brought their fiddles so they had a square dance and even Damon, despite his leg, danced with his bride. He'll never forget that day nor their wedding night.

 _In the shadows of their bedroom, Damon wraps his arms around her back and in one gentle pull, their skin touches. He puts his hand in her hair, loving the softness, watching it tumble free when he releases it. Then he moves his hand down, dragging his fingers from her cheekbones to her lips. Then he kisses her and they start to move like partners in a seductive waltz. Their bodies fit together as if they were made just for this, to fall into one another and stay this way forever._

 _With a laugh, he lifts her in his arms, carries her toward the bed, letting her fall onto the mattress with a soft bounce. He's nervous and with shaky hands, he starts to unbutton her dress. She takes one of his hands and kisses each fingertip and together they undo them. Then he begins kissing her, starting at her toes and moving upward, slowly, meticulously till his hands reach her legs. Her back arches in anticipation when his fingers land where she wants them. He looks up, smiling when her head rocks back against the pillow and when he moves them, the first moan escapes her lips._

When he feels his son tug on his sleeve, he startled from his reverie. He smiles, ruffles his hair and then finishes milking the cows.

Other than Mr. Rolag who still has a corn cob stuck in an unmentionable place, Damon is no longer considered an outcast amongst the town people. Many have apologized profusely for their abhorrent behavior and thanked him with gifts of food for saving their children. He and Sheila were so proud and almost brought to tears when Elena received a citation from the mayor for her bravery in leading the children to safety on that January day in 1888.

With Andy at his side, Damon carries the bucket of milk towards the house. The boy runs ahead and opens the door for his daddy. Stepping inside, Damon smiles when he sees his wife sitting in the rocker nursing their new baby girl, Josephine.

After he sets the bucket on the table, Damon washes his hands. Looking over Sheila's shoulder, he reaches around her to stick his finger in the frosting she's mixing up for her cinnamon rolls.

"Stop that," Sheila adds, pretending to be upset. She swats at him with the wooden spoon which gets the sugary goodness all over his hand. Laughing, Damon licks it off, a delighted look on his face then washes his hands again. As soon as she spreads the icing on the pan of rolls, she gives Andy the bowl to lick out.

"Yummy," he squeals, sitting down at the table with the bowl in his lap. Smiling at his boy, Damon winks at Sheila and then goes to greet his wife properly. Leaning over, he brushes a kiss to her lips. Staring down at her bosom where their daughter's mouth is attached to her breast, he feels such a sense of overwhelming love. He runs the back of his index finger wispily across her chubby little cheek in awe of the second little life that he and Elena created.

"What's that face, Mr. Salvatore?" Elena queries, the corners of her mouth lifting in a radiant smile.

He drops his lips to hers, kissing her soundly. With a twinkle in his eyes, he places his mouth at her earlobe and whispers, "This, Mrs. Salvatore, is the face of one very, very happy man."

The End...

* * *

On January 12, 1888, the so-called "Schoolchildren's Blizzard" swept across the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came with no warning, and some accounts say that the temperature fell nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours.

According to newspaper accounts of the time, between 250 and 500 people died in the storm. A precise number has never been determined, in part because it is thought not all the deaths were reported. Some bodies were not found for days and even months.

It was a Thursday afternoon and there had been unseasonably warm weather the previous day from Montana east to the Dakotas and south to Texas. Suddenly, within a matter of hours, Arctic air from Canada rapidly pushed south. Temperatures plunged to 40 below zero in much of North Dakota. Along with the cool air, the storm brought high winds and heavy snows. The combination created blinding conditions.

Most victims of the blizzard were children making their way home from school in rural areas and adults working on large farms. Both had difficulty reaching their destinations in the awful conditions. In some places, though, caution prevailed. Schoolteacher Seymour Dopp in Pawnee City, Nebraska, kept his 17 students at school when the storm began at 2 p.m. They stayed overnight, burning stockpiled wood to keep warm. The next day, parents made their way over five-foot snow drifts to rescue their children. In Great Plains, South Dakota, two men rescued children in a schoolhouse by tying a rope from the school to the nearest shelter to lead them to safety.

Minnie Freeman, a teacher in Nebraska, successfully led her children to shelter after the storm tore the roof off of her one-room schoolhouse. In other cases, though, people were less lucky. Teacher Loie Royce tried to lead three children to the safety of her home, less than 90 yards from their school in Plainfield, Nebraska. They became lost, and the children died of hypothermia. Royce lost her feet to frostbite.

By Friday morning, January 13, hundreds of people lay dead on the drifted prairie. In a few terrifying hours, the hopes of the pioneers had been blasted by the bitter realities of their harsh environment. Recent immigrants from Germany, Norway, Denmark, and the Ukraine learned that their free homestead was not a paradise but a hard, unforgiving place governed by natural forces they neither understood nor controlled.

* * *

 _Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You're an incredible group of people, we're in awe every day of what you do for us. We don't even begin to know how to thank you all enough. Your support inspires us to keep writing stories. We just started work on "Waiting For A Star to Fall"..._

 _For those of you concerned about my stories being incomplete, the only ones that aren't completed in my profile are the ones in progress. Eva and I always complete ours._

 _Thank you Eva. You're the best, I love you dearly._

 _Chapter title: 'You Make My Dreams' by Hall & Oates. _

_Watch for "Welcome to the Jungle" to start posting, hopefully next week. This is the synopsis: Old adversaries reunite when a long missing body turns up on her property. Raw passion ignites, haunting memories return and suspicion burns white hot... Which one will claim victory in the deadly game of cat and mouse that ensues?_

 _Have a safe and wonderful day. We'll see you next with chapter 11 of "November Rain"._


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